totem
totem Lexical Profile
totem Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person, object, or concept that is venerated as a representation or symbol of a particular quality, ideology, or group.
"For many early pioneers of computing, the garage workshop became a cultural totem of innovation."
A natural object, plant, or animal believed by a particular society or indigenous group to have spiritual significance and adopted by it as an emblem of kinship or ancestry.
"The raven serves as an important ancestral totem for several clans along the Pacific Northwest coast."
A carved or painted image, sculpture, or pole representing a sacred ancestral emblem or spirit.
"The museum's central hall features a towering wooden totem carved from a single cedar trunk."
• Rhymes for totem
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 18th century from the Ojibwe word 'odoodeman', meaning 'his sibling kin' or 'his clan mark'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.